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Speaker 1: Last minute tickets Loa's price is guaranteed. The NBA breathed

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Speaker 1: a sigh of relief with the with the Knicks holding

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Speaker 1: on to beat the Pistons, and the Warriors holding on

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Speaker 1: to beat Houston. So I had picked Houston in seven.

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Speaker 1: I thought their depth and athletic ability. I knew they

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Speaker 1: weren't a great half court offense, and in the end,

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Speaker 1: Jason timp hoops to night. In the end, they got

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Speaker 1: so many bad, awful half court possessions. And you know,

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Speaker 1: it's funny, just for all the Curry struggles in the

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Speaker 1: first half cominga you can't have him on the floor

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Speaker 1: in the end, I'll say this, And it wasn't a

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Speaker 1: great night offensively. I mean it's one o three eighty nine.

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Speaker 1: It was not a great night for the Dubs, and

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Speaker 1: their defense was tremendous. But I did think Jason, on average,

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Speaker 1: they just got more organized, better looks. Even when Curry

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Speaker 1: was struggling, Buddy Heel was getting good looks, Pods was

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Speaker 1: getting good looks. And in the end, it's just youth.

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Speaker 1: It's like, it's like watching the most talented college basketball

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Speaker 1: team of all time with Houston. You're like, could have

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Speaker 1: could we run a play if not for a men

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Speaker 1: Thompson in the first three quarters, I'm like, would they

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Speaker 1: even be in the game. So again, just the experience

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Speaker 1: those crucial second half possessions, Warriors looked more organized, they

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Speaker 1: looked more experienced.

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Speaker 2: To me, Yeah, you know, the Margins are pretty slim.

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Speaker 2: Calling like it was here we were Houston Game seven,

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Speaker 2: They're on a run. It's sixty three to sixty. As

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Speaker 2: a men, Thompson starts taking over there in the third

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Speaker 2: quarter and it's like literally could have gone either way

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Speaker 2: at that point. But what happened at that point, which

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Speaker 2: I thought was super fascinating, was that was really when

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Speaker 2: Steph Curry started to assert himself. And as I came

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Speaker 2: out of Game six, there were two main areas where

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Speaker 2: I thought Golden State had obvious ability to just play better,

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Speaker 2: so to speak. And it was one they had completely

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Speaker 2: lost control of Fred van Vliet and Albern Shangoun defensively. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: they have fifty points in game six. Those two guys

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Speaker 2: both looked completely held under control into night's game. And

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Speaker 2: so that was the first big one. Get control of Fred,

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Speaker 2: get control of Shane gun. Shout out to Looney and Draymond.

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Speaker 2: I thought those two guys just did an unbelove was huge.

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah. And then as all of their guards did

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Speaker 2: a great job on Fred van Vliet throughout the game.

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Speaker 2: A bunch of different guys got minutes on him. The

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Speaker 2: second piece of it was there's a pretty strong correlation

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Speaker 2: in this series. With exception of Game four, there was

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Speaker 2: a pretty strong correlation in this series between Steph's shot

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Speaker 2: making and the Warriors winning. When he was going offensively,

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Speaker 2: they were in control, and when he would cool off,

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Speaker 2: Houston was able to get enough stops to kind of

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Speaker 2: get in transition and get going. And one of the

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Speaker 2: things that Steph did in that second half was he

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Speaker 2: just stopped running off ball and he just started bringing

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Speaker 2: the ball to the floor, and he brought the ball

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Speaker 2: to the floor and he just started spamming high ball

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Speaker 2: screens and he got a bunch of good looks for

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Speaker 2: himself and for his teammates out of that. That has

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Speaker 2: been kind of the break last in case of emergency

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Speaker 2: Warriors offense for years now is when things bogged down

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Speaker 2: for them, they'll just let Steph run high, pick and

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Speaker 2: roll and again, like he had. I think he finished

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Speaker 2: with twenty or twenty something points. That's that's under selling

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Speaker 2: his impact because he only had he had zero up

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Speaker 2: until the very end of the first half, and so

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Speaker 2: he scored at a top tier, superstar level during that

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Speaker 2: second half stretch when they really pulled away. And the

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Speaker 2: last piece I wanted to shout out was Buddy Heel.

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Speaker 2: The numbers coming out of Game six were pretty strong

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Speaker 2: that the Warriors were better with Buddy Healed on the

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Speaker 2: floor versus Gary Payton. And this is not an anti

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Speaker 2: Gary Payton take. I'm a big Gary Payton fan. It's

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Speaker 2: just they don't need his upside as much in this

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Speaker 2: particular matchup because they're not guarding, you know, really high

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Speaker 2: level guards. Next round, they're gonna need him for Anthony Edwards,

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Speaker 2: they're gonna need him in a big way. But in

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Speaker 2: this series, with the way Houston was guarding, having that

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Speaker 2: other shooter on the floor that could really compliment what

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Speaker 2: Steph was doing, that was a big I thought Gary

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Speaker 2: Payton getting sick almost helped Steve Kerr in that way

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Speaker 2: because it don't almost forced him to lean into Buddy Moore,

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Speaker 2: and Buddy was fantastic. But that was just Championship Warriors

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Speaker 2: basketball when it mattered, and a lot of immature basketball

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Speaker 2: from Houston, and that was the difference.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, shot making matters Buddy, I think finished

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Speaker 1: was seven and threes. You know, it was an interesting

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Speaker 1: game when Curry was struggling in the first half, Buddy

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Speaker 1: was huge. I thought Pod toed a couple of big baskets.

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Speaker 1: You know, there's gonna be a people that are just

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Speaker 1: never gonna like Draymond Green, Like I get it. But

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Speaker 1: he had a couple of big plays, just big baskets,

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Speaker 1: and you know, then he was shooting back to back

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Speaker 1: threes and that was the end of the clock. And

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Speaker 1: it was bad Warrior possessions. But when when stead I mean,

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Speaker 1: at one point, I'm looking up and I'm like, Warriors lead,

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Speaker 1: and Steph it had like two points or four points.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, God, they're in good shape. This is just incredible.

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Speaker 1: And you know the thing about Curry when you watch

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Speaker 1: him and Steph has these games, Steph has these halfs

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Speaker 1: here where'd you go? And it's not that he needs

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Speaker 1: the confidence, but Steph is not a He's such an

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Speaker 1: collaborative force that if he's off, he's really good at decoy,

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Speaker 1: he's really good at off ball stuff. And sometimes I

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Speaker 1: almost feel like Kurs say, bro, this is your offense,

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Speaker 1: Like we're not gonna do this you're gonna bring the

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Speaker 1: ball up and make shots. And I don't know, I

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Speaker 1: just I felt like the team knew Steph wasn't playing

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Speaker 1: great and everybody else gonna And then did you notice

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Speaker 1: when Steph was playing great, everybody finds their perfect role,

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Speaker 1: you know. Butler's like, okay, now they need me late,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna take He had like a little six nothing run.

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Speaker 1: But I find that the team there's a harmony, especially

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Speaker 1: with like Pods has it now like he knows Okay,

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Speaker 1: Steph's on a heater, Steph's hot set screens for Steph.

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Speaker 1: You can sense the team's senses. Okay, Steph's back, guys,

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Speaker 1: everybody get the pitching staff order. Now everybody knows where

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Speaker 1: they're spot on the floor, is right.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, In general, you can tell that the team kind

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Speaker 2: of senses whether or not Steph's in one of those zones.

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Speaker 2: And I mean Steph will send his own signals, like

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Speaker 2: there are stretches. There were stretches over the entire second

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Speaker 2: half of the series where you could tell Steph was

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Speaker 2: like in this part of the game, I'm not really

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Speaker 2: looking to be aggressive, I'm looking to save energy. And

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Speaker 2: I thought it was really interesting. I don't know if

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Speaker 2: you notice as Colin, but whenever he would in the

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Speaker 2: second half, he was doing this to save energy. He

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Speaker 2: would come off the high ball screen and if they

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Speaker 2: ever if Houston ever defended it, well like if they

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Speaker 2: didn't get anything out of that first action, he would

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Speaker 2: like take whoever was guarding him, whether it was Dylan

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Speaker 2: Brooks or Men Thompson or whatever. He goes stand out

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Speaker 2: by almost half court and just let them faceguard him

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Speaker 2: out there so the other guys could play four on four.

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Speaker 2: And it's just part of the energy conservation piece of

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Speaker 2: it that you could tell Steph was finding little parts.

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Speaker 2: The point is is like with Steph, it's flurries. It's

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Speaker 2: these six or seven possessions where he makes four or

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Speaker 2: five shots and it blows a five point lead to

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Speaker 2: a seventeen point lead. Steph is very much an avalanche

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Speaker 2: type of player, and that's the entire team is built

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Speaker 2: around that. And to your point, like I mentioned off

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Speaker 2: the top, when we were talking about the defensive end,

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Speaker 2: the two things they had to fix where they needed

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Speaker 2: to get Steph going and they needed to get Fred

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Speaker 2: and Shangoon under control. You want to know why the

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Speaker 2: Warriors had a lead. Despite Steph not playing so well.

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Speaker 2: They completely shut down Shangouon and Fred to start the game,

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Speaker 2: and look, Draymond had a really bad offensive series. There

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Speaker 2: were some very specific reasons for that. The Rockets put

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Speaker 2: Fred van Vliet on him so that they could switch

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Speaker 2: ball screens. One of the biggest pieces of offensive utility

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Speaker 2: for Draymond on this team is him running ball screens

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Speaker 2: with Steph and getting to make the decisions as the

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Speaker 2: guy leading the four on three on the other side

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Speaker 2: of the team, blitzing Steph Curry. As soon as they

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Speaker 2: put Fred van Vliet on him, it kind of neutralizes

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Speaker 2: Draymond offensively and turns him into a spot up shooter,

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Speaker 2: which by the way, he did hit a couple threes

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Speaker 2: to start this game. But that puts Draymond in a

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Speaker 2: predicament where he has to be fantastic defensively to really

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Speaker 2: be valuable, and I thought Draymond was amazing defensively in

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Speaker 2: this game. He was the one who stonewalled Shane Gun

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Speaker 2: was not getting to his short hook in this game.

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Speaker 2: He kept having to turn over his right shoulder and

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Speaker 2: take one like fadeaways along the baseline. Draymon had Shane

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Speaker 2: Gun in jail tonight, and so like you always have

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Speaker 2: to look beyond just the box score with him, he's

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Speaker 2: the foundational piece of everything that makes them great.

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Speaker 1: Defensively, It's gonna be interesting for Houston because, like a men,

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Speaker 1: Thompson was so valuable to them tonight when especially when

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Speaker 1: Van Vliet, I mean Jalen Green to me, I'd move

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Speaker 1: him tomorrow. He's a little like Coamingo, where I know

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Speaker 1: I'm getting a world class athlete, but Jonathan just doesn't naturally.

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Speaker 1: He doesn't feel natural Offensively, he doesn't. Sometimes he's like

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Speaker 1: a lost kid at the park, like he's just kind

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Speaker 1: of like I'm not sure where I fit and you're like, dude,

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Speaker 1: you are long an athletic, get near the rim, something

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Speaker 1: good will happen, and he's hovering on the outside.

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Speaker 2: A men.

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Speaker 1: Thompson makes himself so it's so useful. It doesn't matter

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Speaker 1: what it is. It's keeping a ball active, it's on

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Speaker 1: the floor, it's being a defender, Like the dude is

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Speaker 1: just a classic an annoyance. And then offensively, he's just

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Speaker 1: so aggressive. It's it's not Westbrook, but it's some guys

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Speaker 1: in this league that are so aggressive they just players

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Speaker 1: don't want to face them, they don't want to guard them,

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Speaker 1: they don't want to be in their space. Butler's got

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Speaker 1: a little bit of that, but he's a much better

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Speaker 1: offensive player. But I was thinking, as I watch Houston,

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Speaker 1: I would keep Shangoon who Milwaukee would want to be

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Speaker 1: on at trade. Anybody would, And I would keep Aman Thompson.

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Speaker 1: But I was talking to an NFLGM years and years ago.

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Speaker 1: He goes, when you make a big trade, everybody thinks

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Speaker 1: we want draft picks, but I don't want nine draft picks.

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Speaker 1: Your team gets too young, and like veteran coaches get

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Speaker 1: really frustrated with twenty two year olds, Houston is literally

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Speaker 1: too young. Like they go to the bench and it's

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Speaker 1: a twenty two year old and there's and I and

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Speaker 1: I said, I keep Shangoon young, I keep Amen Thompson.

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Speaker 1: I would move some of those young players. I felt like,

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Speaker 1: I mean, Van Vliet's great, doesn't he really knows his role.

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Speaker 1: But I think sometimes they need to develop these offensive players.

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Speaker 1: These young guys, they're dependent. If Fred's not hitting, they

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Speaker 1: can really struggle Jason at half court, and I mean

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Speaker 1: just getting good looks if he's struggling.

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Speaker 2: There were points in this game where I was like, man,

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Speaker 2: I kind of think a Men Thompson or Jabari Smith

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Speaker 2: Junior going one on one is a better option than

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Speaker 2: Shangun and Fred because of how in jail those two

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Speaker 2: guys were. You know, I was thinking about it tonight

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Speaker 2: as we were watching these crazy Amen Thompson like wing

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Speaker 2: drives where they kind of just let him if he

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Speaker 2: brings the ball up in transition and he comes up

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Speaker 2: the left wing and he likes the matchup in front

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Speaker 2: of him, they'll kind of just space and let him

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Speaker 2: go one on one. And it actually reminds me a

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Speaker 2: little bit as Ion Williamson in the sense that like

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Speaker 2: no one can keep him in front off the dribble,

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Speaker 2: and then he just pops up off the ground just

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Speaker 2: short of the rim, and he could shoot little floors,

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Speaker 2: short jump shots and little scoops all over the place.

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Speaker 2: He had an insane move tonight where he had a

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Speaker 2: behind the back dribble into like a crazy up and

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Speaker 2: under on the other side of the rim, and I

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Speaker 2: was like, good God, this is like an NBA Superstar

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Speaker 2: type of play. But Amn Thompson to me is completely untouchable.

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Speaker 2: Shane Goon, It's one of those things where you barter

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Speaker 2: with him. But if if Milwaukee goes we're hanging up

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Speaker 2: the phone, but push in the table, I'll call it

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Speaker 2: in right, then you make that sort of deal. But ultimately,

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Speaker 2: like there's a Men Thompson succeeding in this series and

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Speaker 2: guys of Kaminga and Jalen Green not succeeding in this series,

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Speaker 2: I actually think is a very interesting kind of storyline

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Speaker 2: in the sense that they're all freaky athletes. But there's

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Speaker 2: two things with the men Thompson that separates him from

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Speaker 2: the other two athletes. Amen Thompson is an elite on

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Speaker 2: ball defender, yes Kaminga and Jalen Green are not. And

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Speaker 2: then a Men Thompson is elite processor in the middle

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Speaker 2: of the floor. He is he makes quick decisions, and

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Speaker 2: he gets the ball where it needs to go. Those

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Speaker 2: are both the specific reasons why Jalen Green and Kaminga

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Speaker 2: struggles so much on offense. Amen Thompson is useful athleticism

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Speaker 2: because he has a really high basketball IQ and he's

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Speaker 2: great at one thing on defense already, which is what

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Speaker 2: he can do on the ball. Kaminga and Green, they're

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Speaker 2: not great at anything, and they're both poor processors, which

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Speaker 2: is kind of a death sentence for an athlete, especially

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Speaker 2: when you get in the postseason and all of a

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Speaker 2: sudden like quickly reading the forlor and making decisions is

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Speaker 2: the difference between success and failure in many cases.

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Speaker 1: I think the Warriors could struggle against Minnesota because Minnesota

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Speaker 1: offers you size, but with veteran half court experience, so

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Speaker 1: you like it. Sometimes with Houston, you know when the

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Speaker 1: Golden State waive the white flag and that Game five,

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Speaker 1: they were telling you this theme's not beating us back.

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Speaker 1: We feel really good about this series. You can't give

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Speaker 1: games to Minnesota. You're not giving anything to Minnesota. I

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Speaker 1: think I think Minnesota size. I think they're coaching staff.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I think Ant won't have as many great

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Speaker 1: looks as needed against the Lakers. They're gonna throw more

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Speaker 1: bodies at him. I think, you know, I think Draymond Green.

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Speaker 1: I mean, they'll just throw different looks and bodies. So

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Speaker 1: I don't think Ant will have Maybe he will, but

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Speaker 1: I don't think. I think sometimes Ant saw Lucas straddle

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Speaker 1: over to him and thought, Okay, this is a bucket.

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Speaker 1: Which way do I want to take him? But I

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Speaker 1: don't know if this is it doesn't feel like a

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Speaker 1: great matchup for Golden State here.

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Speaker 2: So you know, it's interesting, Colin. I came away from

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Speaker 2: the first round feeling like Golden State has no chance

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Speaker 2: against OKAC, but I actually think that they have a

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Speaker 2: pretty decent chance against Minnesota. Let me let me give

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Speaker 2: my two cents here because it's it's kind of a

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Speaker 2: basketball matchup piece. So one of the reasons why Houston

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Speaker 2: guarded Steph so well is they have a bunch of

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Speaker 2: really quick players and that quickness was very attentive to

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Speaker 2: the detail and they didn't let Steph get easy ones

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Speaker 2: off ball. Oklahoma City is Leyden. Their roster is Layden

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Speaker 2: with players like that, super fast, super smart. Minnesota is

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Speaker 2: a little bit more upright and big. And one of

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Speaker 2: the things that stood out to me in this series

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Speaker 2: was Steph felt really comfortable one on one against Jabari Smith.

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Speaker 2: We had a late iso against him in this game

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Speaker 2: and against Dylan Brooks. They're bigger wings that struggle to

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Speaker 2: shift their weight from side to side. That's the first

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Speaker 2: piece of it. I think Steph is gonna like his

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Speaker 2: matchups against nas Reed, Julius Randall, even Jada McDaniels a

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Speaker 2: little bit as a taller wing. The second piece of

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Speaker 2: it is, I spent this last week watching a bunch

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Speaker 2: of Minnesota Golden State film because I just assumed they

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Speaker 2: would close it out, which took to this point. But

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Speaker 2: they did end up closing it out, and Golden State

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Speaker 2: won three straight games against Minnesota, and in the last

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Speaker 2: two games in particular, they were clutch time games and

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Speaker 2: nos Reed, Anthony Edwards, and Julius Randall multiple times lost

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Speaker 2: focus off ball when Steph was running around and they

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Speaker 2: left him wide open and he burned them. Here's why

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Speaker 2: that matters. The Lakers series was very different. You have

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Speaker 2: these two really big forwards and Luca and Lebron. There

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Speaker 2: are these big, strong forwards that are playing one on

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Speaker 2: one basketball. There's no fancy approach other than I'm better

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Speaker 2: than you one on one trying to score because I'm

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Speaker 2: bigger and stronger. That fed right into the strength of

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Speaker 2: Minnesota's defense, which is they have a bunch of big, strong,

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Speaker 2: perimeter afletes. Golden State presents an entirely different challenge. It's

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Speaker 2: a mental challenge, not a physical challenge. It's he's running

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Speaker 2: in circles. There's all this ball in player movement, and

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Speaker 2: you've got to be paying attention. And we even have

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Speaker 2: a recent example with Anthony Edwards in the Conference finals

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Speaker 2: last year where he got cooked by Kyrie Irving because

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Speaker 2: Dallas was running him through a bunch of off ball

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Speaker 2: screening actions. Yes, I remember, so one of the things

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Speaker 2: that I'm looking at in this series. And by the way,

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Speaker 2: for the record, Colin, I think Minnesota probably will be favored,

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Speaker 2: and I'm not saying I'm gonna pick Golden State, but

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Speaker 2: I've seen enough from the specific ways that Minnesota guards

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Speaker 2: Golden State in the way that Steph can succeed against bigger,

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Speaker 2: taller players because he's just so much faster. I do

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Speaker 2: think Golden State's gonna present some problems for them, and

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Speaker 2: that's not even before we even get to the fact

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Speaker 2: that Golden State is a flat out substantially better defense

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Speaker 2: than the Lakers were, and it will be a very

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Speaker 2: different challenge. They're more athletic on the perimeter, and they're

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Speaker 2: much better on the back line. They have the best

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Speaker 2: defensive player of our era there, so I do think

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Speaker 2: it'll be a closer and more competitive series than people realize.

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Speaker 1: The NBA eighty two game grind is done. Now the

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Speaker 1: I want to talk Cleveland getting beat in Game one

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Speaker 1: against Indiana. So this won't get as much publicity as

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Speaker 1: a Warriors game. But the first thing is Darius Garland's out,

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Speaker 1: so your point person's out, and again Donovan Mitchell's a score.

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Speaker 1: They have scoring guards, but it's like losing your quarterback.

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Speaker 1: Whereas Indiana. I think Indiana plays esthetically as pleasing a

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Speaker 1: game to watch as anybody in the league. They play

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Speaker 1: with pace. They can shoot threes, but don't rely on them.

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Speaker 1: They're young, they're athletic, they have length, don't depend on it.

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Speaker 1: And Halliburton just doesn't turn the ball over. He's an

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Speaker 1: incredibly smart player who they're pacing their ball movement. They

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Speaker 1: get good shots, they're not they they rarely are sloppy.

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Speaker 1: They're rarely out of control, which for a team that

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Speaker 1: plays with pace, often you get out of control. And

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Speaker 1: I'm and some of this, I'm just like, Okay, Cleveland

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Speaker 1: doesn't have their their setup guy in the back court.

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Speaker 1: Like some of this is great backcourt missing their missing

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Speaker 1: their guy. But another part of this is when I

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Speaker 1: watched it, I just thought, Oh, the Pacers are playing

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Speaker 1: their game. This is what they look like when they're

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Speaker 1: playing their best basketball. Good pace, good shots. Halliburton's controlling

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Speaker 1: all of it. And I'm like this this could be

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00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:44,959
Speaker 1: a problem. Like, I mean, Cleveland can really defend rim wing,

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Speaker 1: like they're really good and we all know this, but boy,

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Speaker 1: they there were there were pacing things today where I'm like, man,

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Speaker 1: Cleveland just looks out of sorts. That's what it looked

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Speaker 1: like to me, just visually. Cleveland was not in sync today.

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Speaker 2: Why this was a really fascinating game. One, I think

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Speaker 2: you're hitting the nail on the head in the sense

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Speaker 2: that I thought today was mostly that the Pacers, just

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Speaker 2: the Pacers just send a message to the basketball world,

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Speaker 2: like this is what they look like when they're at

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Speaker 2: their best. I thought you put that perfectly. They did it.

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Speaker 2: First of all, they defended Donovan Mitchell extremely well, pressured

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Speaker 2: him all over the place, played him into a really

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Speaker 2: inefficient game. I want to get to that in a second,

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Speaker 2: because that's Donovan Mitchell tried to conquer his demons today

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Speaker 2: by scoring, and I thought that that was a mistake.

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Speaker 2: That's something to keep in mind. But specifically with Indian offense,

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Speaker 2: they do such an amazing job of taking every single

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Speaker 2: easy opportunity that ever presents itself in the game. If

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Speaker 2: you're running up the floor and Tyree sees you, he's

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Speaker 2: throwing the kick ahead pass. If he's just dribbling on

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Speaker 2: the wing and you're on the opposite wing and your

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00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:46,480
Speaker 2: man kind of sinks in towards the top of the key,

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Speaker 2: he's just gonna swing it to you every single time.

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Speaker 2: And if you're on the opposite corner and your man's

427
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,520
Speaker 2: got a foot in the paint because he's trying to help,

428
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:55,359
Speaker 2: Tyresee is gonna throw it over the top and he's

429
00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:57,680
Speaker 2: gonna hit you every single time. And there is very

430
00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:01,240
Speaker 2: much an empowerment from Rick Carlisle goes down the roster. Yes,

431
00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,560
Speaker 2: everyone is encouraged to be aggressive on the catch every

432
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,440
Speaker 2: single time, and so Tyresee is the relentless advantage hunter.

433
00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,560
Speaker 2: And I thought the Cavs were entirely caught off guard

434
00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,000
Speaker 2: by that. Today. They were really sloppy off ball, left

435
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,560
Speaker 2: a ton of easy openings that they can clean up

436
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,600
Speaker 2: in game two, and I'm sure Kenny Atkinson will be

437
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,040
Speaker 2: all over that. But Tyresee was hunting those advantages and

438
00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,760
Speaker 2: then everybody was just in a groove playing off of him,

439
00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,760
Speaker 2: attacking every single time time Tyree hits them. And Tyrese also,

440
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 2: this is the subplot here. Tyres is what's bringing the

441
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,640
Speaker 2: real ceiling here where they look like they can actually

442
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,520
Speaker 2: beat anybody, and it's because Tyres is playing like he

443
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,000
Speaker 2: did to start last year. There was this thing that

444
00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,080
Speaker 2: happened at the start of last year before he heard

445
00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,920
Speaker 2: his hamstring, where he was killing everybody Colin. Remember he won,

446
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,840
Speaker 2: Remember he won the n season tournament Eastern Conference and

447
00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 2: ended up losing it.

448
00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,480
Speaker 1: Then he disappeared like then he just he got injured

449
00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:55,760
Speaker 1: and he just got hurt. Everybody went what happened to him?

450
00:22:56,160 --> 00:23:00,439
Speaker 2: That hamstring piece is his downhill ability to beat bigs

451
00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,000
Speaker 2: and switches, because the key with Tyree Salliburton is he's

452
00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,360
Speaker 2: such a gifted passer that if you run traditional ball

453
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,040
Speaker 2: screen coverages against him, he'll pick you apart. So what

454
00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:09,720
Speaker 2: you have to do is you have to switch against him.

455
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,479
Speaker 2: He scored or generated a basket in a switch against

456
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:18,560
Speaker 2: Jared Allen six times today. Literally five of five of

457
00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:22,080
Speaker 2: his nine made baskets were directly against Jared Allen in switches.

458
00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,240
Speaker 2: And what that is is it's the explosiveness. You saw

459
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,680
Speaker 2: that step through bank shot he hit on Jared Allen late,

460
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,760
Speaker 2: he was driving past Dean Wade on switches like ty

461
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,960
Speaker 2: Reese when he's explosive, is a bigger, more athletic Steve Nash.

462
00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,639
Speaker 2: He just needs to have that extra bit of explosion,

463
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,240
Speaker 2: which has been inconsistent since he heard his hamstring. But

464
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,200
Speaker 2: The subtle thing that makes Indiana like a legitimate puncher's

465
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,800
Speaker 2: chance threat to win the conference is just how high

466
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,280
Speaker 2: of a level Tyrese is playing on the other side

467
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,159
Speaker 2: of the floor. Like Donovan Mitchell, I was watching the

468
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,760
Speaker 2: I rewatched the game during the commercial breaks of that

469
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,399
Speaker 2: Houston game, and I just it was almost like a

470
00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,320
Speaker 2: dude trying to ram his head through a brick wall.

471
00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,760
Speaker 1: It was like, no questions, two guys took yeah.

472
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 2: And it's like what made Cleveland so great all year

473
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,840
Speaker 2: the drive in kick game, Max Strus hitting catch and

474
00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,359
Speaker 2: shoot threes, Sam Merril hitting catch and shoot threes, DeAndre

475
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,119
Speaker 2: Hunter hitting catch and shoot threes. That's their game in

476
00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:18,280
Speaker 2: the game calling. Indiana generated seventeen unguarded catch and shoot

477
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,240
Speaker 2: jump shots. Cleveland generated ten. That's the difference in the approach.

478
00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:27,000
Speaker 2: Donovan Mitchell four assists, thirty shot attempts. He tried, He

479
00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,200
Speaker 2: tried to win this game playing hero ball, and it

480
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,440
Speaker 2: got the entire team out of rhythm. And so even

481
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,879
Speaker 2: if Darius Garland is hurt and not at one hundred percent,

482
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,040
Speaker 2: just having him back out there to help the flow

483
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,760
Speaker 2: of the offense I think will go a long way.

484
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,480
Speaker 2: And Cleveland does have a lot to clean up on defense.

485
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,399
Speaker 2: Andy threw a great punch. I do think this is

486
00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:44,680
Speaker 2: gonna be a long series.

487
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,439
Speaker 1: Though, Okay, I gotta pay respect to Denver, so I

488
00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,199
Speaker 1: took you know, it's really interesting for those listenings. So

489
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,680
Speaker 1: the Clippers go into a Game seven, and you think,

490
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,840
Speaker 1: to your I said before the series, I said, Tyler

491
00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,679
Speaker 1: is worth a game because generally Denver's playing badly. At

492
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,000
Speaker 1: the end of the year, they replace their coach, like

493
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,960
Speaker 1: everything just spells trouble. Then they play an experienced Clippers

494
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,520
Speaker 1: team with an excellent coaching staff, and I'm like, this

495
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:17,359
Speaker 1: is bad news. And yet the late game execution, the

496
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,960
Speaker 1: adjustments my Denver. It's like, all right, maybe it's the players,

497
00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,320
Speaker 1: maybe it's the staff, but I felt late in games

498
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:31,360
Speaker 1: first credit to Westbrook who I Westbrook has found some

499
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,440
Speaker 1: sort of self awareness in the last month. He's had

500
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: these quotes. It goes to the podium and he's like,

501
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,439
Speaker 1: you know, my game doesn't look like everybody else's. He goes,

502
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,240
Speaker 1: but I know what I am. I bring a lot

503
00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,439
Speaker 1: of energy. Now sometimes that energy is a turnover, and

504
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:54,240
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my god, who unlocked this? Who unlocked this? Westbrook.

505
00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,720
Speaker 1: But it's like, I have no problem with that game

506
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,080
Speaker 1: if you know it. And he was for years he

507
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,240
Speaker 1: get very defensive, and now he's like, hey man, my

508
00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,960
Speaker 1: game doesn't look like everybody. So it's like, that's right, Russell,

509
00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,560
Speaker 1: that's exactly right. He's such a tone setter, he's so relentless,

510
00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,360
Speaker 1: and now he's already come to terms with me. Hey listen, man,

511
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,119
Speaker 1: it's a different game. It's not always great. He like

512
00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,160
Speaker 1: almost laughs at it. He's like, it just doesn't look

513
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,800
Speaker 1: like yours. But I got to tell you, Denver, considering,

514
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,280
Speaker 1: I mean, you would predict. I thought, who's playing poorly

515
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,800
Speaker 1: at the end of the year. Fires a respected coach

516
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,520
Speaker 1: plays a veteran team that's well coached and win. I

517
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,680
Speaker 1: don't know why the reason was, but some of it

518
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,920
Speaker 1: is Yokich, some of it's Westbrook. Is more of a

519
00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:41,919
Speaker 1: just disappointment from the Clippers.

520
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,120
Speaker 2: It's all of it, Colin, because I mean, to your point,

521
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:46,760
Speaker 2: you want to know how a team that is, in

522
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,119
Speaker 2: my opinion, more talented. I think the Clippers have more talent,

523
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,520
Speaker 2: and they were playing substantially better, better, more experienced game.

524
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,639
Speaker 1: They're on fire for the last forty days.

525
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,560
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, and they were in commanding position to win

526
00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:58,840
Speaker 2: the series call and they were up two to one,

527
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,120
Speaker 2: like they should have that series. Like there's a whole

528
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,439
Speaker 2: there's a whole other conversation to have about the Clippers

529
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,600
Speaker 2: being in the position that they're being in. But I

530
00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:07,879
Speaker 2: want to credit Nicole Jokic. He's the main one that

531
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,800
Speaker 2: stood out to me. What happened after Game three when

532
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,040
Speaker 2: the Clippers bloom really blew them out and took control

533
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,399
Speaker 2: of the series. Jokic got on his guys in the

534
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,320
Speaker 2: huddle and was like, this is this is not good enough?

535
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,840
Speaker 2: In Game three though in the third quarter, or excuse me,

536
00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,520
Speaker 2: in Game four, So Clippers up to one in Game four,

537
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 2: it was close at the half. In that third quarter,

538
00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,840
Speaker 2: Jokic played one of his best offensive quarters of the

539
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,720
Speaker 2: of the series to that point and built that first

540
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,439
Speaker 2: bit of margin. And really since that point, for the

541
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,320
Speaker 2: entire second half of the series, the Nuggets scored the

542
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,040
Speaker 2: ball extremely well. They had like a one to twenty

543
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,800
Speaker 2: seven something offensive rating with Yokic on the floor, like

544
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,440
Speaker 2: they they were excellent offensively after that third that Game

545
00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,639
Speaker 2: three kind of blow up that they had, and I

546
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,480
Speaker 2: thought jokicch in his overall intensity really led the way.

547
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,280
Speaker 2: Jamal Murray obviously was fantastic. Aaron Gordon was amazing in

548
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:00,840
Speaker 2: Game seven.

549
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,200
Speaker 1: Christian Brown to start Game seven was really good.

550
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,200
Speaker 2: And he was yes, and he was the guy who

551
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,439
Speaker 2: did the great job on James Harden throughout the series.

552
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,359
Speaker 2: In general, throughout the tail end of the series, I

553
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,879
Speaker 2: just thought Denver was in control. I never really was.

554
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,440
Speaker 2: Once we got to that point, I felt pretty sure

555
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,440
Speaker 2: that Denver was going to close the deal. I picked

556
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,240
Speaker 2: the Clippers to win the series at the start of

557
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,320
Speaker 2: the series, but once we got to once we got

558
00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 2: to Game four, I picked Denver. I just felt like

559
00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,560
Speaker 2: I felt like Jokic was just so much more in

560
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,879
Speaker 2: control of the half court dynamic, and you know, then

561
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,000
Speaker 2: to take it over to the Clippers side, you know,

562
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,760
Speaker 2: with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, the two of them,

563
00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,840
Speaker 2: they just aren't they just aren't good enough right now

564
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:41,680
Speaker 2: to be able to compete in the Western Conference with

565
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,600
Speaker 2: their shot creation. Kawhi Leonard struggled to handle double teams

566
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 2: all series and just wasn't aggressive enough. James Harden, it

567
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,200
Speaker 2: was like feast or famine with him. I mean, he

568
00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,760
Speaker 2: has eleven in game five. He has seven in game seven,

569
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,120
Speaker 2: and one last thing to before I kick it back

570
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,400
Speaker 2: to you about Westbrook. One of the things I loved

571
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 2: about his quote and he used the same phrase that

572
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:00,959
Speaker 2: you used when we did the pop on Wednesday. You

573
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,720
Speaker 2: said a force of nature, and he was like, I'm

574
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:05,480
Speaker 2: a force of nature. This is what I do. And

575
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,920
Speaker 2: the way I interpreted it, it was almost like he

576
00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 2: was saying, like, my style is to not think but

577
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,800
Speaker 2: just to just act. Yeah, which is funny because in

578
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:16,239
Speaker 2: the quote he was like, I definitely think, like I'm

579
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:17,880
Speaker 2: a smart player, and I know he is, and that's

580
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,440
Speaker 2: not what I mean, but like, he's definitely an instinct player,

581
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,560
Speaker 2: like he follows his gut and he doesn't second guess himself,

582
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,680
Speaker 2: and that comes with mistakes naturally. But when you combine

583
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:35,280
Speaker 2: that like audacity and confidence with his overwhelming athletic traits,

584
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,880
Speaker 2: it makes him a wrecking ball in like the best

585
00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,120
Speaker 2: possible way, and he can god like that stretch towards

586
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,680
Speaker 2: the end of the game where he's just getting steals

587
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,920
Speaker 2: and going out and transition and dunking everything like that

588
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,360
Speaker 2: is force of nature basketball, and yeah, comes laid in

589
00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,960
Speaker 2: with mistakes. But I would argue the thing that's put

590
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 2: him over the top is one his ability to operate

591
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,000
Speaker 2: as a cutter around Jokic, and two just him becoming

592
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,640
Speaker 2: a better three point shooter. Him becoming a better three

593
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,640
Speaker 2: point shooter has gotten rid of all the claimings that

594
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,840
Speaker 2: were part of those bad plays and mistakes that were

595
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,520
Speaker 2: really causing him to hurt his impact.

596
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,840
Speaker 1: He's also a momentum player, so you notice this in

597
00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,840
Speaker 1: this series. If he hit a three, he hit another.

598
00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 1: And I think sometimes, I mean, he's obviously a very

599
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,560
Speaker 1: confident guy. The way he dresses and his attitude, he's

600
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,200
Speaker 1: a very confident guy. But even the most confident Alex

601
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,720
Speaker 1: Rodriguez got dropped to eighth in a batting order once

602
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,680
Speaker 1: for the Yankee. I don't care how confident you are.

603
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:30,920
Speaker 1: Everybody struggles, right, Like basketball is so much of basketball,

604
00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,360
Speaker 1: more than any sport, is a confidence game. Like even

605
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,160
Speaker 1: Steph Curry will have these zero for six stretches. You're like,

606
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,360
Speaker 1: this is just not a good steff and he'll go

607
00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:43,960
Speaker 1: off ball and move around, and so Westbrook can have

608
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,640
Speaker 1: these bad stretches. But the truth is when I watch him,

609
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,840
Speaker 1: and like a Men Thompson, a Men Thompson has so

610
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,840
Speaker 1: much value because he's so relentless and so aggressive that guys,

611
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,600
Speaker 1: he's a pain in the ass to guard. He's you

612
00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,360
Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like he's Westbrook's hard. He's hard

613
00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,880
Speaker 1: to guard. He's in your face. He's physical and by

614
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,880
Speaker 1: the way, like a running back that's five to eight

615
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:16,480
Speaker 1: with leverage, Russell's got those this trunk and like he's

616
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:20,400
Speaker 1: really strong. And so you're a six seven guy and

617
00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,480
Speaker 1: Westbrook's got leverage on you and he's banging you around.

618
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,320
Speaker 1: He rebounds exceedingly well for his size. And so there

619
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 1: are these basketball players and they're very rare that there.

620
00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,600
Speaker 1: It's just like a genetic, like a they're just relentless

621
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:40,160
Speaker 1: athletes and it's and so I love that Westbrook's like listen, man,

622
00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:44,360
Speaker 1: it doesn't look like everybody else's game, but I know

623
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 1: what I bring and it's like, that's exactly what you do.

624
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,840
Speaker 1: And like a lot of times, like Jalen Green doesn't

625
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,800
Speaker 1: know what he is and I don't think he even

626
00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,160
Speaker 1: has a pathway to it. Like Westbrook's come full circle

627
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 1: to being a guy that I always thought lack of

628
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,240
Speaker 1: self awareness, having total self awareness. It's like, hey, man,

629
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:01,800
Speaker 1: I'm going to a thousand miles an hour. I know

630
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 1: what I'm doing in this series, so I think when

631
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,320
Speaker 1: you do what we do for a living, and I'm

632
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,800
Speaker 1: critical of people, you also have to be fair. I

633
00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,160
Speaker 1: don't care if it's Baker Mayfield or Russell Westbrook. I

634
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,280
Speaker 1: watched him in this series, and Yokich is obviously the

635
00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:16,880
Speaker 1: best player in the world I thought. I thought Westbrook

636
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:22,640
Speaker 1: was really valuable to the Nuggets. Do they match up

637
00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:23,720
Speaker 1: with OKC at all?

638
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,680
Speaker 2: This is a matchup I was hoping for. As much

639
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,080
Speaker 2: as I thought the Clippers would beat Denver, I didn't

640
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 2: think the Clippers had nearly the playmaking talent to beat

641
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,120
Speaker 2: Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City plays very aggressively up in passing

642
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,960
Speaker 2: lanes and on the ball and ball pressure to try

643
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 2: to force turnovers and get out in transition. That's like

644
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,520
Speaker 2: one of their foundational traits. They're the best defense in

645
00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,480
Speaker 2: the league and they get out and transition and run

646
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:51,120
Speaker 2: on you like crazy. Denver is an elite, like top

647
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,200
Speaker 2: tier passing team. They passed the ball extremely well. They're

648
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,720
Speaker 2: also a great screen setting team, which is very important

649
00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,520
Speaker 2: because that's how the get free. Guys like Jamal Murray

650
00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:01,240
Speaker 2: are gonna be go by lou Dort. You've got to

651
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,080
Speaker 2: get lou Dort off of Jamal Murray. The main thing, though,

652
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,840
Speaker 2: is Jokich is a superpower. Okay See cannot guard him.

653
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 2: He posted up sixty two times against Oklahoma City this year.

654
00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,280
Speaker 2: That's over fifteen times per game. He averaged only ten

655
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,000
Speaker 2: against everyone else. This is a matchup that he loves

656
00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,560
Speaker 2: to post up again against a lot they successfully can

657
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,040
Speaker 2: set screens to get Jamal Murray open. He had a

658
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,320
Speaker 2: big game in this matchup this year. They each one

659
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,440
Speaker 2: on each other's floor once it was two and two

660
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,280
Speaker 2: in the season series. Denver's gonna be able to score though,

661
00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,960
Speaker 2: and that's the main reason why I think it'll be

662
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,680
Speaker 2: a longer, more interesting series. In their last matchup, they

663
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,120
Speaker 2: hung one hundred and forty points on him. The Jokich machine,

664
00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:43,040
Speaker 2: the Jokich Murray machine. They're gonna score against ok See

665
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,400
Speaker 2: now in theory on the other side of the floor.

666
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,840
Speaker 2: This is a type of matchup that favors Denver in

667
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:51,720
Speaker 2: the sense that they can load up and it's not

668
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,520
Speaker 2: a real like space you out type of team. Oklahoma

669
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,000
Speaker 2: City can get cold from three. Sometimes they can be,

670
00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,520
Speaker 2: you know, a little bit sloppy with their passings sometimes.

671
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,160
Speaker 2: But that said, Oklahoma City's a lot older than they

672
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:05,240
Speaker 2: were last year, more mature than they were last year,

673
00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,000
Speaker 2: more experienced than they were last year. I was really

674
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,120
Speaker 2: impressed with them in their first round series because Memphis

675
00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:12,480
Speaker 2: actually plays a similar style of defense to Denver in

676
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:14,799
Speaker 2: terms of loading up the strong side, and I thought

677
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,719
Speaker 2: Oklahoma City passed through Memphis really well, so okay Se

678
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,440
Speaker 2: should be favored. I was stunned at how much they

679
00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,160
Speaker 2: were favored by. They were like minus seven hundred to

680
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 2: win the series, which I thought was crazy on DraftKings,

681
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,759
Speaker 2: like I would have thought more like a minus three

682
00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,120
Speaker 2: hundred minus three fifty kind of favorite. Like I think

683
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,560
Speaker 2: Okayse should be favored, but Vegas is saying Denver doesn't

684
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,120
Speaker 2: have a chance. I think Denver's going to score, and

685
00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:39,600
Speaker 2: that is just more than enough to make this a

686
00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,040
Speaker 2: competitive series in my opinion.

687
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,600
Speaker 1: And now for our next segment, Whiskey Business brought to

688
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,600
Speaker 1: you by Green River Whiskey, the official whiskey of the

689
00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:53,160
Speaker 1: Colin Cowhard Podcast. If you want to enjoy life, simple pleasures,

690
00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,480
Speaker 1: reached for Green River Whiskey, whether it's Rye whiskey, single barrel, bourbon,

691
00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,160
Speaker 1: you're getting over a century a craftsmanship packed in to

692
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,120
Speaker 1: every bottle. Hop on over to Green River Whiskey dot

693
00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,800
Speaker 1: com and discover a legend in a bottle today.

694
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:07,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, the.

695
00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,200
Speaker 1: You know, it's let's go back to the Warriors and

696
00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,080
Speaker 1: we can finish it with this. Jason timf obviously hoops tonight.

697
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:17,960
Speaker 1: A lot of the old teams lost. The Clippers were

698
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:19,839
Speaker 1: an old team they lost. The Lakers were an old

699
00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,280
Speaker 1: team they lost. Milwaukee was an old team they lost.

700
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,000
Speaker 1: You know, Golden State's an old team and they won.

701
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,080
Speaker 1: Some of that is because they were playing a young

702
00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:30,120
Speaker 1: team that feels like they're a year or two bind okase,

703
00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,160
Speaker 1: Like they're just not like Cleveland was three years ago. Okay,

704
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 1: see was last year. Some of it's just the baby

705
00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,000
Speaker 1: step nature of this league. Houston wasn't ready to win

706
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:42,320
Speaker 1: a series and even though they had some clear athletic

707
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:46,239
Speaker 1: length and depth advantages. But there is something to be

708
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:53,320
Speaker 1: said about Kerr was really I mean, Peyton's sick cominge

709
00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,640
Speaker 1: he doesn't want. Basically, they had five guys and then

710
00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 1: like a Looney that was the lineup. It's like five

711
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:05,440
Speaker 1: guys Looney. There is something to be said for Steve Kerr.

712
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:10,040
Speaker 1: He was a great broadcaster, smart executive, really good player.

713
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,880
Speaker 1: He did a lot of coaching tonight, there was a

714
00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,840
Speaker 1: lot of I mean, when Curry's struggling, he is going

715
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,200
Speaker 1: through lineups. I mean, in Cominga's off the floor, Loony's in.

716
00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,799
Speaker 1: I'm keeping Looney in. I want to talk a little

717
00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:27,200
Speaker 1: bit about Kerr. All these old teams lost. It would

718
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,440
Speaker 1: have been very easy on a night if I'd have

719
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,560
Speaker 1: said to you didn't watch the game. Yeah, Curry was

720
00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:36,200
Speaker 1: awful in the first half, and it was just Warriors

721
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:41,360
Speaker 1: really struggled offensively and they won. I think some of

722
00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,759
Speaker 1: it is I think Kerr has such a heartbeat. I

723
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,359
Speaker 1: mean we said into this series, Jason, oh, they have

724
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,240
Speaker 1: to play Cominga, and they really didn't and it worked.

725
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,160
Speaker 1: I mean, and I've got have told you, yeah, Comingo

726
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:56,759
Speaker 1: won't play much. What he does he clearly frustrates the

727
00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:58,839
Speaker 1: hell out of Kerr. Oh yeah, Game seven, Peyton, They'll

728
00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,720
Speaker 1: be sick as a dog. There was a million reasons

729
00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:03,960
Speaker 1: why they should have lost this series. I mean, wasn't there.

730
00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,320
Speaker 2: Yeah. I texted our mutual friend Logan Swain in the

731
00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,080
Speaker 2: middle of this game and I said, man, because you

732
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,440
Speaker 2: know he's a fellow Lakers fan, as we've been lamenting

733
00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:17,120
Speaker 2: the disappointing end of the season, and I said to him, like,

734
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,800
Speaker 2: I still think Kerr and the Warriors are just miles

735
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,680
Speaker 2: smarter than the Lakers, And it just drives me crazy

736
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,680
Speaker 2: when I'm watching him, because Kurr just played every button

737
00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:30,480
Speaker 2: right tonight. Now, obviously there was the illness to GP two,

738
00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,360
Speaker 2: but it was right. Buddy was the guy. He needed

739
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,080
Speaker 2: to lean his buddy. That was the right move. Quick

740
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,480
Speaker 2: hooks with Kaminga. He got two quick shifts. He made

741
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:39,920
Speaker 2: a bunch of mistakes right away and he was They

742
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:41,480
Speaker 2: called it. He called the time out to get him

743
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,120
Speaker 2: out in one of them. So like like like, so

744
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:47,760
Speaker 2: he had quick hooks on Kaminga going towards Kevon Looney

745
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,560
Speaker 2: in this game instead of Quinton Post. He understood this

746
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:51,080
Speaker 2: is going to be a bloodpath. This game is going

747
00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,279
Speaker 2: to be about rebounding, not about spacing, So we're going

748
00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:55,120
Speaker 2: to go towards Kevan Luney. I thought that was smart.

749
00:37:56,280 --> 00:38:00,040
Speaker 2: The the against the zone. I won't get into the

750
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,000
Speaker 2: the intricacies on here because it just would take too long.

751
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:03,879
Speaker 2: But there were a couple of specific things that they

752
00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:06,839
Speaker 2: tried right away and got really good looks against the zone,

753
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,359
Speaker 2: which was the big story because in Game six when

754
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,440
Speaker 2: they lost control, Houston zoned them eighteen times in the

755
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,520
Speaker 2: fourth quarter and they scored three times in eighteen possessions.

756
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:18,200
Speaker 2: So that was a huge storyline coming into game seven.

757
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,400
Speaker 2: Would Kurr and the guys be able to solve the zone.

758
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,879
Speaker 2: They did a much better job against it tonight. Every

759
00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:26,280
Speaker 2: single little button that needed to get pushed got pushed,

760
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,400
Speaker 2: and it was the difference. I mean, this game was

761
00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:31,000
Speaker 2: a three point game in the second half. I think

762
00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:34,720
Speaker 2: we underestimate how much these series come down to pretty

763
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,520
Speaker 2: tight margins. Like if you really look at Denver, look

764
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,000
Speaker 2: at Denver versus the Clippers, You've got an overtime game.

765
00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,440
Speaker 2: You've got Aaron Gordon dunking at the buzzer to win

766
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,799
Speaker 2: one of the games. Look at Detroit versus New York.

767
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,680
Speaker 2: All those games swung on crunch time sequences. Lakers Minnesota

768
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,200
Speaker 2: Game three in Game four were where the series were decided.

769
00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,600
Speaker 2: Both of those games were tied in the final minutes,

770
00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,080
Speaker 2: in Minnesota pulled away. Like, the margins are slim, and

771
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,279
Speaker 2: if you haven't advanced in the strategic side of things,

772
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,320
Speaker 2: with your coaching staff. It makes a massive difference.

773
00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,080
Speaker 1: Hey, so we all make mistakes, but owning up to

774
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:08,840
Speaker 1: them is the right thing to do. So you know

775
00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:12,399
Speaker 1: Degree cool Rush deodorant right, Well, last year they changed

776
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,960
Speaker 1: the formula and it did not go over well with

777
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,400
Speaker 1: their fans. So Degrees the whole thing is it turns

778
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,920
Speaker 1: up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up

779
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,640
Speaker 1: the effort, and good thing it does, because cool Rush

780
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,040
Speaker 1: fans really turned up the effort to bring the original

781
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,920
Speaker 1: formula back. One guy even started an online petition and

782
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,520
Speaker 1: Degree listened. They admitted they ft up. They're bringing back

783
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:32,799
Speaker 1: the original cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and

784
00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,480
Speaker 1: it's exactly how you remember it, cool, crisp and freshness

785
00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,040
Speaker 1: back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under

786
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,160
Speaker 1: four dollars. There's a reason that's been the number one

787
00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,399
Speaker 1: men's anti persprint for the last decade. It's the same

788
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,719
Speaker 1: reason why people were not happy when it changed. So

789
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,600
Speaker 1: if you've never tried it, it might be a good

790
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,120
Speaker 1: time to see what the fuss is about. Head to

791
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,719
Speaker 1: your local Walmart, Target and try the og degree cool

792
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,520
Speaker 1: Rush for yourself. Well, I do want to talk about

793
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:59,239
Speaker 1: this obviously, JJ Reddick. I didn't think JJ had a

794
00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:02,680
Speaker 1: great last couple of games in the series, okay, And

795
00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:04,480
Speaker 1: I was thinking about this. I wanted a walk this

796
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,960
Speaker 1: morning in Chicago, and I thought about this. So when

797
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:12,680
Speaker 1: Matt Lafleur got the Green Bay Packers job, he'd never

798
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:16,759
Speaker 1: been good looking, smart guy and Tennessee coordinator, but had

799
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,080
Speaker 1: never been a head coach, had never owned the room.

800
00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:22,319
Speaker 1: So he goes to this iconic organization, replaces a super

801
00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,200
Speaker 1: Bowl winning coach, Mike McCarthy. And the first thing I

802
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,640
Speaker 1: noticed is they became a very good first quarter team,

803
00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:34,799
Speaker 1: much like JJ Reddick, very intentional, you know, classic coordinator,

804
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,799
Speaker 1: becomes a head coach the Packers offense first quarter. It

805
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,040
Speaker 1: was clearly that he was a great in the film

806
00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:42,719
Speaker 1: room coach. That's why he got the Packer job. But

807
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:48,040
Speaker 1: I didn't love his halftime adjustments because as a coordinator,

808
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:49,919
Speaker 1: the coach is doing a lot of the half. He's

809
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:53,560
Speaker 1: doing the talking at half, right, so you're doing a

810
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:55,839
Speaker 1: lot of what the coach wants at half. And then

811
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,560
Speaker 1: I thought by year two, Matt Lafleur became a really

812
00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,600
Speaker 1: good full coach. He came in his first year, he

813
00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:03,880
Speaker 1: was a great They took leads that you win seventy

814
00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:05,399
Speaker 1: percent of your games in the NFL if you take

815
00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:07,719
Speaker 1: a lead, But he wasn't a great adjustment coach he

816
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:11,399
Speaker 1: was year two. Similarly, JJ Reddick Lakers were a very

817
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,960
Speaker 1: good first quarter team many times this year that have

818
00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:17,640
Speaker 1: these great stretches, very intentional, very good in the film room,

819
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,960
Speaker 1: very smart guy. But I do think adjustments take time

820
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,440
Speaker 1: to be a great adjuster. Kerr is a great adjuster,

821
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:30,960
Speaker 1: I think Joe. I think Missoula and Boston's gotten much

822
00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:34,080
Speaker 1: better at that. It's the you know, playoffs series have

823
00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:38,680
Speaker 1: four and five adjustments. Chris Finch's team very good at layering,

824
00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:42,120
Speaker 1: and I just think JJ, I think it's just part

825
00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:45,560
Speaker 1: of being a rookie head coach. Jason Kidd his first

826
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:48,160
Speaker 1: go around. You know, you're good in the film room,

827
00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:51,439
Speaker 1: you're intentional, you come out this is what we do well,

828
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:55,880
Speaker 1: and they don't so much to this league is second half,

829
00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:59,759
Speaker 1: last four minutes out of a timeout, and it is

830
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,719
Speaker 1: a fair criticism on the film you watch to say

831
00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:07,520
Speaker 1: that JJ will become a better overall coach, that there

832
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:11,879
Speaker 1: were times this year that he wasn't. Now maybe I'm

833
00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:14,920
Speaker 1: the opposite, is true? But I just didn't think he

834
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:16,799
Speaker 1: was always the greatest adjuster.

835
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:19,680
Speaker 2: I thought he was a little slow to adjust at times.

836
00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:22,840
Speaker 2: I think, you know, I think in general with JJ,

837
00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:26,560
Speaker 2: I have had no big picture concern just simply because

838
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:29,520
Speaker 2: I think he's smart, and I think he's hyper competitive

839
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,120
Speaker 2: and like kind of obsessive, which I think is what

840
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:34,479
Speaker 2: you just need to be to be good at that job.

841
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:36,760
Speaker 2: Is I think he'll I think he'll have some issues

842
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,160
Speaker 2: over over his career with just how hot tempered he

843
00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:40,799
Speaker 2: is and how that can rub people the wrong way.

844
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:42,239
Speaker 2: I mean, we saw that with Mike Malone. You can

845
00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,120
Speaker 2: wear out the room pretty quick, sure if you're a

846
00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:45,960
Speaker 2: great coach, and I think those will be things that

847
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,640
Speaker 2: he'll have to work out. The perfect example of that

848
00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,720
Speaker 2: to me was the Warriors Lakers regular season game towards

849
00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,600
Speaker 2: the end of the year, where like Steve Kerr comes

850
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:56,920
Speaker 2: out for his little interview at the end of the

851
00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,440
Speaker 2: first quarter, and he's just so calm and cool and collected,

852
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,719
Speaker 2: and then they go to JJ for his interview and

853
00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:04,080
Speaker 2: he's like clearly mad and angry and agitated, and it's

854
00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,840
Speaker 2: like it's like you learned too that, like your players

855
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,120
Speaker 2: start to I actually learned this from the high school

856
00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:12,399
Speaker 2: coach that I coached with. Like you, your players take

857
00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:14,239
Speaker 2: on your personality in a lot of cases, and which

858
00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:15,640
Speaker 2: is why it's so important for you to kind of

859
00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,560
Speaker 2: stay as even keeled as you can, because if you

860
00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,160
Speaker 2: get super emotional and worked up, your players will get

861
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:22,839
Speaker 2: emotional and worked up and stuff like that. But over

862
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:24,920
Speaker 2: the course of the series, I thought he made several mistakes.

863
00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,520
Speaker 2: There was the at the beginning of the series, the

864
00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:30,439
Speaker 2: Lakers just came out looking flat out unprepared for Game

865
00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,759
Speaker 2: one in terms of the intensity. JJ admitted after the

866
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:35,480
Speaker 2: fact that he thought he made a mistake by not

867
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,439
Speaker 2: scrimmaging at all in that week before the game, which

868
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:39,719
Speaker 2: I when I heard that, I was like, wait, you

869
00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:42,359
Speaker 2: guys didn't play basketball for a week. I'm like, you're

870
00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,200
Speaker 2: about to play the Timberwolves. It's going to be a war.

871
00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:45,880
Speaker 2: You need to be ready. But to JJ's credit, he

872
00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,000
Speaker 2: acknowledged it. He understood that there was a mistake there. Offensively,

873
00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:51,480
Speaker 2: I thought the team made a key mistake in the

874
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:55,279
Speaker 2: series by not attacking Minnesota's smalls at any point at

875
00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,480
Speaker 2: any At any point in the series, there was no

876
00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:01,120
Speaker 2: extended stretch where Lebron or Luca attempted to post up

877
00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:03,680
Speaker 2: in that series. Lebron shot call, This is a crazy

878
00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:07,640
Speaker 2: post Lebron. Lebron shot out of the post in that

879
00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:12,799
Speaker 2: entire series five times, five times in five games. This

880
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:15,640
Speaker 2: is like literally what he's done in his career, as

881
00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,239
Speaker 2: like the thing he goes to when his back is

882
00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,000
Speaker 2: against the ball. He was just unwilling to do it.

883
00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,600
Speaker 2: But it also goes to Luca. Luca was in attacking smalls.

884
00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:27,440
Speaker 2: They were only attacking bigs. There was the substitution pattern

885
00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,000
Speaker 2: at late in game four, which I think again is

886
00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,680
Speaker 2: a little bit more convoluted, because you know they win

887
00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:34,000
Speaker 2: that game. You're playing Monday morning quarterback in a lot

888
00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:36,960
Speaker 2: of ways. But Game five, though, in particular, he switched

889
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:41,040
Speaker 2: his scheme towards double teaming, and they looked completely unprepared,

890
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,680
Speaker 2: meaning like they were giving up wide open layups and

891
00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:46,160
Speaker 2: dunks to where like if they were a little bit

892
00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:49,000
Speaker 2: more schematically prepared for that, they should have been able

893
00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,240
Speaker 2: to at least tilt that towards the three point line

894
00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:54,280
Speaker 2: in certain guys shooting. They looked like an unprepared team

895
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:56,520
Speaker 2: for that scheme, which I think reflects poorly on JJ

896
00:44:56,680 --> 00:44:58,200
Speaker 2: but at the end of the day, like I thought,

897
00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:02,560
Speaker 2: JJ overwhelmingly in his first year exceeded expectations. Same same,

898
00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:06,000
Speaker 2: I don't think JJ is the reason they lost to Minnesota.

899
00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,920
Speaker 2: I think the reason they lost to Minnesota is Austin

900
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:12,239
Speaker 2: Reeves was awful for the majority of the series and

901
00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:15,520
Speaker 2: like literally the Minnesota took him out and Luca when

902
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,520
Speaker 2: whenever the series was hanging in the balance, late in

903
00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:21,000
Speaker 2: game five, late in game four, late in game three,

904
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:24,520
Speaker 2: Luca was bad and that really was the series. And

905
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,400
Speaker 2: like I will, I will always kind of look at

906
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:29,799
Speaker 2: the stars before I look at coaches. But there's no

907
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:31,680
Speaker 2: doubt that JJ's got a lot of room to grow.

908
00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:34,120
Speaker 2: I'm just not worried about it because of how competitive,

909
00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,240
Speaker 2: how smart he is. That stuff will come in time.

910
00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 2: I do.

911
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:41,640
Speaker 1: I do think they have to consider there's some duplication

912
00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:44,600
Speaker 1: with Austin Reeves, and they just need somebody's gonna want

913
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:46,960
Speaker 1: Austin Reeves and somebody's gonna be looking to get rid

914
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:49,600
Speaker 1: of a big And it's nothing against Austin. I think

915
00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:52,680
Speaker 1: he has value. That wasn't a great series for him, Well,

916
00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,040
Speaker 1: wasn't a great matchup. I mean, the truth is Minnesota's

917
00:45:56,080 --> 00:46:00,000
Speaker 1: athletic and strong and physical, and they pounced on it

918
00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,000
Speaker 1: and he just couldn't get to the free throw line.

919
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:04,080
Speaker 1: But I look at it and I think he has

920
00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,719
Speaker 1: served his purpose. He's an unranked player. Use him as

921
00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:08,839
Speaker 1: a trade piece. But if you're not going to play

922
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:12,919
Speaker 1: Jackson Hayes against the team with Ruby Gobert, you need

923
00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:15,000
Speaker 1: some size. You got to get a legitimate big in here.

924
00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:18,560
Speaker 2: Austin Reeves is one of my favorite players, and so

925
00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:21,319
Speaker 2: it hurts me to say this because rooting for him

926
00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:24,239
Speaker 2: has been and watching him go from like literally an

927
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:27,479
Speaker 2: undrafted guy to like a legitimate player probably deserves thirty

928
00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,000
Speaker 2: million dollars a year in this league, like he's so good.

929
00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:32,000
Speaker 2: And by the way, Colin, this is the first time

930
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:34,760
Speaker 2: in several playoff series that I've watched Austin and thought

931
00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:37,840
Speaker 2: that he was overwhelmed, Like he's been very good in

932
00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,520
Speaker 2: four previous playoff series. So, like Austin, this was a

933
00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:44,040
Speaker 2: really bad matchup for him. They're just so athletic. He

934
00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:46,360
Speaker 2: caught the Anthony Edwards matchup most of the series and

935
00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,160
Speaker 2: ant Yeah put him in jail, and Dante DiVincenzo defended

936
00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,279
Speaker 2: him really well. My thing is it's more just about

937
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:55,080
Speaker 2: roster construction. I don't think you can build a lineup

938
00:46:55,120 --> 00:47:00,520
Speaker 2: that succeeds in the modern NBA with two inferior perimeter athletes.

939
00:47:00,719 --> 00:47:03,920
Speaker 2: I think that's where you're you're reaching. You're reaching kind

940
00:47:03,960 --> 00:47:08,160
Speaker 2: of like below the like mandatory minimum level of athleticism

941
00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:11,440
Speaker 2: that you try. And so even though even though like

942
00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,000
Speaker 2: it makes some sense in the context of Lebron, when

943
00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:19,680
Speaker 2: Lebron retires, you're now building around Austin and Luca, and

944
00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:22,760
Speaker 2: you would need the other three guys in that lineup

945
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:26,160
Speaker 2: to be like absolute peak athletes for that to work. Yep,

946
00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:29,160
Speaker 2: And that's just difficult to do in terms of roster allocation.

947
00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:32,080
Speaker 2: And so honestly, when I look at it this summer,

948
00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:33,920
Speaker 2: you know, that doesn't mean you get rid of Austin

949
00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:37,319
Speaker 2: for nothing, but I begin to look at Austin as

950
00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,360
Speaker 2: a key asset with which to return somebody that actually

951
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:43,759
Speaker 2: fits this timeline better. And there's the second piece of it,

952
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:46,120
Speaker 2: which is, if you get rid of Austin, you better

953
00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:49,600
Speaker 2: have a plan for another ball handler because Lebron is forty,

954
00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:52,759
Speaker 2: so like there's got to be a this is this

955
00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,480
Speaker 2: is gonna be a really fine line that they're walking

956
00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:58,439
Speaker 2: this offseason because they need to walk the win now

957
00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:01,680
Speaker 2: line alongside Lebron, but they also need to have some

958
00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:04,840
Speaker 2: sort of plan post Lebron, and so that's where it

959
00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:07,160
Speaker 2: gets tricky. I look at like, you know, if you

960
00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:09,520
Speaker 2: could call a Brooklyn and see if you can't package

961
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:13,160
Speaker 2: together Austin and another salary and get like a Cam

962
00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:15,719
Speaker 2: Johnson and a Nick Claxton, so you get like a

963
00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:19,120
Speaker 2: legit three and D guy and a real center to

964
00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:21,040
Speaker 2: put next to Luca and Lebron. But even then you

965
00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:23,879
Speaker 2: better be calling behind the scenes to stars and be like, hey,

966
00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:25,480
Speaker 2: we're gonna need somebody to come in here and be

967
00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:27,960
Speaker 2: Luca's number two pretty soon. And you know, maybe it

968
00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:30,040
Speaker 2: ends up being a Kyrie after his injury or something

969
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:33,120
Speaker 2: like that. Who knows, But there's there's definitely a fine

970
00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:34,799
Speaker 2: line here that they have to walk in a lot

971
00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:38,200
Speaker 2: of different pieces gotta go right. But I left the

972
00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:40,200
Speaker 2: series thinking the same way you did, Colin. I'm like,

973
00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:43,000
Speaker 2: I love Austin, I'm not sure if he makes a

974
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:43,600
Speaker 2: lot of sense here.

975
00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:46,440
Speaker 1: In the Big Listener, Nico Harrison gave you a little

976
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:50,080
Speaker 1: bit of a roadmap when he had Kyrie and Luca

977
00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:53,040
Speaker 1: and like, okay, I need size and rim protection.

978
00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:53,439
Speaker 2: Yep.

979
00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:55,840
Speaker 1: And they were really good and got to the finals.

980
00:48:56,120 --> 00:48:58,480
Speaker 1: And I just think that's the reality. It was the

981
00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:01,560
Speaker 1: reality with Carmelo Anthon, who wasn't a willing defender. It

982
00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,120
Speaker 1: was James Harden. There are just players in this league

983
00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:07,959
Speaker 1: who are so gifted offensively you overlook stuff. If if

984
00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:12,479
Speaker 1: Lebron is old and Luca is your star, you're gonna

985
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,080
Speaker 1: need some elite defenders. You need rem protection. That's just

986
00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:18,239
Speaker 1: the way it is. It's okay, and you can get it.

987
00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:20,239
Speaker 1: I mean they almost pulled off that deal for was

988
00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:21,640
Speaker 1: that Mark Williams.

989
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:23,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I don't think I don't think he's the

990
00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:24,439
Speaker 2: answer either. Colin.

991
00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:26,760
Speaker 1: No, he's always hurt.

992
00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:28,760
Speaker 2: Uh, He's not a good defender.

993
00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:31,239
Speaker 1: Oh so, he's just a big guy.

994
00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:33,640
Speaker 2: He's just a big guy. He's got a little bit

995
00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:35,880
Speaker 2: of Charlotte Hornets itis, so there's always a little bit

996
00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:37,840
Speaker 2: of that. Like maybe maybe he bring him in and

997
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,319
Speaker 2: make him better. But I didn't love the film that

998
00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:42,520
Speaker 2: I saw with him playing defense at Charlotte.

999
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:46,160
Speaker 1: All Right, so we get ready for some more unbelievable

1000
00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:50,520
Speaker 1: NBA playoffs have been so damn fun, just so great

1001
00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:53,160
Speaker 1: and I could not wait for this game to start,

1002
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:56,000
Speaker 1: and I was so too.

1003
00:49:56,800 --> 00:49:58,880
Speaker 2: This was one of the biggest games I can remember

1004
00:49:58,920 --> 00:50:01,480
Speaker 2: in recent history. The ramifications of Golden State.

1005
00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:03,840
Speaker 1: The number is going to be huge. The number is

1006
00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:05,480
Speaker 1: going to be huge for this. And by the way,

1007
00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:09,040
Speaker 1: let's give credit to the Pacers. Fun watch. If you're

1008
00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:13,440
Speaker 1: a casual NBA fan, they're just a great pacing, really

1009
00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:19,760
Speaker 1: smart Halliburton's a tremendous playmaker and passer. They've got well coached,

1010
00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:21,960
Speaker 1: they've got physicality, they can shoot it. To me, they

1011
00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:26,240
Speaker 1: don't depend on it. Just a really nice pacing and easy, fun,

1012
00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:31,640
Speaker 1: smart basketball watch. And they're going to give Cleveland some trouble.

1013
00:50:31,719 --> 00:50:33,479
Speaker 1: So as always, Jason, this was great.

1014
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:35,279
Speaker 2: As good to see Youconnell, See you next week.

1015
00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:44,560
Speaker 1: The volume blending Vice's signature dynamic storytelling with the high

1016
00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:48,080
Speaker 1: octane world of sports. Vice Sports brings an exciting and

1017
00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:50,799
Speaker 1: diverse range of programming that goes beyond the game. From

1018
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Speaker 1: action pack live events to gripping behind the scenes documentaries,

1019
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1020
00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:03,400
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1021
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1022
00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:11,799
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1023
00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:14,240
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